Online retailing giant Amazon.com, Inc., which had recently said its e-books were outselling paperback books, is now set to acquire its rival The Book Depository, a British online bookstore that offers more than six million titles and ships to more than 100 countries.

The Book Depository, founded by Andrew Crawford in 2004, fits well into Amazon’s business model and both companies have long been trying to outsell each other.

But newspapers in Britain have expressed concern at the acquisition, saying the American retail giant might gain a monopoly over British online book trade.

In a statement, Greg Greeley, Amazon's vice president of European Retail, stated that customers in more than 100 countries enjoy The Book Depository's vast selection, convenient delivery and free shipping.

Crawford stated that he would look forward to continuing growth and providing an ever-improving service for readers globally.

Amazon is estimated to account for 70 percent of UK internet book sales with The Book Depository and Play.com its largest rivals, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Amazon, which made profits of $1.15 billion on sales of $34.2 billion last year, said sales of Kindle books had overtaken print. The firm, according to Guardian, is selling 115 Kindle books to every 100 paperbacks.

The Internet has brought about drastic changes in the publishing industry and these days many a number of books are available online. In the western world, more and more people are reading books online.

The Book Depository has managed to acquire a good number of customers with its free shipping offer.

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